A Word On Tolerance
by Nadja Lee
Summary: Just how tolerant are the people in Xavier’s School? Rogue, Scott and Bobby are about to find out.


A Word On Tolerance

By Nadja Lee                                     15/04/02

English is not my native language. Please forgive me my mistakes.

Disclaimer: "X-men" and all the characters here belong to Marvel, 20 Century Fox and I intend no infringement, this is a piece of amateur fan fiction, and I make no money of it.

Only the original idea contained within this work is the property of the author. Please do not copy this story to any website or archive without permission of the author.

Timeline: Set in the movie universe. After the movie.

Universe: Set in the movie universe. Only movie; not that awful book that goes with it!

Romance: Scott/Bobby, Logan/Rogue

Summary: Just how tolerant are the people in Xavier's School?

Archiving: Want, ASK, take,  have.

Feedback: Yes, please. My e-mail address is nadjalee2000@hotmail.com 

Rating: PG-13/R

Sequel/series: None

Dedicated to Brian/Justin for obvious reasons and Joanne for just as obvious reasons *G*. 

// This is a flackback! //

Part 1:

Rogue sat in Scott's mathematics class, trying to pretend she was listening. It wasn't that Scott was a bad teacher; mathematics just didn't interest her. She could see by the way Scott was always willing to help and explain that he liked his job and what he was teaching. She would miss his kindness and enthusiasm as a teacher. This was her last class with Scott or rather his last class with them. Together with Jubilee, Kitty, Johnny and Bobby she was graduating this summer. The last year had been very eventful for her to say the least; her powers had manifested, she had lost her family because of it but found a new one here at the mansion. A few months ago Logan had returned and they had started dating. She had never doubted her own feelings for him but feared he might see her as a sister or daughter. Never had she been happier than when she found she was wrong; he truly loved her.

Her thoughts returned from her Logan daydreaming when Scott passed her desk and looked at her calculations. 

"It looks fine. Now, continue with exercise 14," Scott said and she nodded. She followed him with her eyes as he went to Bobby's table. She saw how Bobby lit up in a big smile as he saw him and she saw the smile being replayed on Scott's lips. She smiled softly for herself. That Bobby adored Scott she had never doubted but lately Scott seemed to be unable to contain a smile when he saw him. The feelings, the warmth…. yes, the love, she could see radiate from Scott was much stronger than anything she had ever seen him show Jean. Thank God they had broken up only a few months after she had arrived; their relationship had been so cold that it should have been buried long ago.

Her thoughts returned to Scott and Bobby and she noticed the way Scott knelt besides Bobby's desk as he showed him how to write something, noticed the way he smiled up to Bobby when he spoke, how concentrated he listened to Bobby's questions and explanations. There were such warmth and love written in the air between them it made her wonder…She was sure that Bobby would miss Scott more than any of them when they began college in town after graduation though they would all continue to live at the mansion.

She recalled an incident recently. Johnny had told a joke at Scott's expense, a rather rude one and Bobby had gotten mad and for the first time they had been in a fight. It had been Scott who had separated them and when he had asked why they had fought, Johnny had said Bobby had started it and to ask him. Scott had done so but Bobby had refused to meet Scott's shaded eyes and had mumbled it was nothing. 

Johnny was Bobby's best male friend and one of the few he had. It wasn't that the other boys disliked him but Bobby just didn't like most of the violent things they wanted to do. On the other hand Rogue had yet to meet a woman who didn't love Bobby. He was her best friend as he was friend with all the girls at school. He was so easy to talk to, he seemed to understand everything so well……then add that he had good taste, dressed well and could draw beautiful sketches. But though almost every girl had been willing to be his girlfriend as far as Rogue could tell Bobby had never had one.

"Thanks for yet another great year and best of luck on your exams. Class dismissed," Scott's voice broke through her thoughts. Before she realised what had happened everyone but Scott, Bobby and her had left the room. Saying 'class dismissed' in a school was like yelled 'bomb' in an office building; everyone ran out in under 10 seconds. 

She began to gather her things and saw that Scott had gone to Bobby's desk and they were discussing something. They spoke lowly; probably because of her but bits and pieces of their conversation reached her.

"Are you sure?" Scott's voice, low and warm.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm old enough and I know what I want and what I am," Bobby's voice, sweet and kind.

 Realising it was a private moment Rogue quickly packed everything and mumbled;  
"I'll wait outside," before she exited the room and closed the door behind her. She waited outside for Bobby to follow with him to their next class with Ororo. 

While she waited she considered what she had seen and heard. She had a feeling….

Suddenly the door opened and Scott appeared. She was to go into the room after him to find Bobby as she saw he came out just after Scott……and they were holding hands! Though she had figured something like this she was still surprised. Scott smiled at her.

"Close your mouth, Rogue. You'll catch flies," he smiled softly and Rogue blushed and quickly did so. Bobby looked a little scared and fearful at her, clinging to Scott's arm like it was the only thing holding him up.

"Way to go, sugah," Rogue said warmly and smiled at him before she hugged him. As they drew back he looked happy and relived at her.

"Thanks," in that word was so much meaning and she nodded. Scott and Bobby began to move down the hall, still holding hands and she followed after. Everyone in the hall stood still to stare, eyes full and mouths open. Rogue grinned; they looked quite funny standing like that.

Bobby noticed their looks to and moved closer to Scott, hiding his face by his shoulder as they walked.

"They're looking at me," he mumbled into Scott's shirt.

"No, they're looking at me," Scott denied and tried to warn anyone off by the stern look in his shaded eyes. 

"Hey, Bobby. Wanna suck me off?" Lance, the captain of their football team asked with a leer. He stood tall, blond haired, blue-eyed wonder and in Rogue's opinion a real jerk. This just proved her right. She was to tell him to shut up but Scott beat her to it.

"No, but if you don't shut up and mind your own business you'll feel my foot in your ass," Scott warned dangerously and Rogue grinned. Take that, she thought.

"Fags," Lance mumbled disgusted as he stepped down in fear of Scott, walking away.

"Idiot," Scott mumbled darkly. Bobby looked up at Scott, fear in his eyes. Was this what he had to live with for the rest of his life? Not only a mutant but gay too? Would he be hated everywhere?

"Don't let it throw you. I'll take care of you;" Scott promised and Bobby smiled, leaning in against him and putting his arm around his back.

"I know," he mumbled, happiness in his voice. For now he'll not worry about the future just feel; just be. 

Rogue smiled warmly at them and was reminded of how Logan had vowed to take care of her. She now understood why Scott hadn't apposed it when Logan and her had began dating like Logan had thought he would. 

Part 2:

"This is ridicules," Rogue complained as she sat besides Logan in the conference room and looked at Jean who had called the meeting. Her right hand was intertwined with Logan's who sat beside her. Scott and Bobby sat beside them with a few empty chairs between them. Scott held Bobby's hand, their fingers intertwined and visible on the table, a defiant look on Scott's face. Xavier sat opposite Jean and patiently waited for an explanation. Ororo stood behind Xavier's chair, looking as regal as ever.

"Since today's…'incident'," Jean's eyes found Scott's but quickly left again. "…several students have complained about…..it."

She was clearly so uncomfortable talking about homosexuality Rogue almost laughed. 

"They should mind their own business," Scott said darkly.

"I always knew you were a faggot," Logan said and snorted.

//

"I always knew you were a mutant."

//

"Why are you saying that?" Rogue asked surprised and shocked, disbelief and pain written on her face. 

"I could see it in the way he walked, talked……and fought or lack thereof," Logan said and received a deadly look from Scott; luckily for him he was wearing his glasses.

//

"How can you say that about our daughter? Such a terrible thing to say," her mother had denied, standing before Marie but still too afraid to embrace her.

"I could see it in the way she walked, talked……acted. She's no longer any daughter of mine!"

//

"How dare you say that?!" Rogue yelled angrily and tore her hand to her and stood up.

"Please, Rogue. You don't have to…." Scott began.  
"Yes, I do," Rogue cut him off. 

"Rogue……..Marie, darlin', I didn't mean….." Logan began, trying to embrace her but she sidestepped him, her eyes flaming.

"Maybe you didn't mean anything but words often hurt worse than knifes," she drew a deep breath, fighting to remain calm. "Do you have any idea how much like my father you just sounded? He said almost the exact same thing to me when my powers manifested themselves. Then he threw me out and disowned me," her voice was strong but bitter. She had cried all the tears she ever would over her family. The one thing she would like to know though was why? Had her parents ever really loved her when they could so easily throw her out and forget about her?  

"Darlin', I………didn't know," Logan whispered softly.

"No but that shouldn't have mattered," she said sadly and turned her back on him.

"There's no need to argue over this," Bobby broke in. "I confessed my feelings for Scott last year but he wouldn't do anything about it till I was older. He said I needed time to be sure. It's first now after I've turned 18 and Scott's not my teacher any longer that we have started……" his eyes found Scott's who nodded and smiled encouraging. "……dating. That walk earlier today was our first and we kissed for the first time today," he honestly said, the warmth and joy of a person in love clearly in his voice.

"I still thinks this is….wrong," Jean admitted, frowning.

"Why?" Scott asked sharply.

"Well…….it's just not natural," she spread her hands to indicate something she didn't know what was.

"How can love be wrong?" Ororo asked confused. "My people have no such taboos and I do not understand them. Why deny and forbid love when you live in such a cold and hate filled world as it is?"

"It's…not natural," Jean insisted stubbornly.

"Come on. You can come up with a better excuse than that for your blind hate," Scott taunted. 

"I don't hate anything," Jean denied strongly but couldn't hold his stare as she said it.

Logan laid his hands on Rogue's shoulders and gently turned her around to face him. 

"I'm sorry, darlin'. You're right; I was being unfair. Forgive me?" he whispered softly. She smiled warmly and threw her arms around him and kissed him through her scarf.  
"Always," she promised. 

"I think for the sake of the children you should consider not being so…openly affective in the future," Jean suggested to Scott and Bobby. 

"Don't you mean for your sake? You and your petty middle class prejudices?" Scott asked darkly.

"This school was built to be a sanctuary against prejudice; all and any prejudice," Xavier broke in and looked at each person in the room in turn. "If we who teach and talk of justice and tolerance are so intolerant ourselves then we're no better than the mutant haters we're fighting. It's this groundless hate and fear of the unknown this school is all about. My school was built on the concept that every man and woman are born equal and with equal rights; no matter skin colour, fortune, religion, mutant or not…….and gay or not. It's not my place to judge others and it certainly isn't any of yours," Xavier reproved.

"But…" Jean began.

"No buts. I'm gay myself. When I was younger I was together with Erik for a time," Xavier admitted frankly, waiting for their reaction.

"WHAT?" Jean all but yelled.

"Does that change your view on me, my dear? If so then your love and devotion to this cause and me was never real in the first place. My personal life is not on trial here and neither is Scott's. As long as two people give and receive love freely, as I see Scott and Robert do, then I see no reason to prevent love when there's so much hate in the world as it is."

"Why didn't you tell me…..us you're gay?" Scott asked, relived to find that the closest he had to a father would understand and support him.

"This is why. This meeting, this prejudice," Xavier shook his head sadly.

" When it comes down to it almost all people are racists," Scott said coldly.

"Pessimist," Bobby teased and squeezed his hand tight.

"Realist," Scott corrected with a smile and brought Bobby's hand to his lips and kissed it.

There was silence in the room for a while until Scott stood up and Bobby did likewise. He looked around at the others, his shaded eyes meeting their looks, save Jean who couldn't get herself to meet his eyes.

"We'll have to find that tolerance Xavier was talking about here if there's to be any hope for peace in the world. If we can't even follow our own teachings what hope do the rest of the world have?" he asked softly. No one answered for there was nothing to be said.

Rogue smiled at them and went to embrace each of them in turn. 

"Thanks for showing Logan the way," Scott whispered in her ear and she smiled. 

"Anytime. He's all right when first you get to know him. He's a real teddy bear under that macho façade of his," Rogue teased.

"Hey," Logan protested in mock anger. 

"Thanks for being my friend, Rogue. I love you," Bobby said as he embraced her and she nodded, smiling happily.

"I love you too," she said as she drew back. Ororo walked to them and embraced them. As she drew back she took their intertwined hands in hers and closed hers over theirs.

"May your love be strong and always blessed by the Goddess," she wished. Scott smiled and Bobby blushed.

"Thanks, Ororo," he said warmly and kissed her cheek.

Xavier came to them and Scott and Bobby embraced him too.

"I'm proud of you, my son. You dare to be yourself. That's rare these days," Xavier whispered to Scott before he drew back.

Scott turned to Logan, unsure what to do. Logan reached out his hand and offered it to Scott. For a while Scott didn't take it and Logan was remembered of how he hadn't accepted Scott's hand when he had first arrived at the school. Then with a smile he accepted his hand, knowing Logan was offering it in genuiate friendship. Scott turned to Jean but she stood still, watching them. Still unable to tear yourself out of your middleclass prejudices? Scott thought sadly at her. Living with hate of any kind had to be a very cold way of living.

Bobby took Scott's hand and they left. Rogue looked from where they had disappeared through the door to Jean. The warmth and love in them was in strong contract to the coldness and loneliness she could see in Jean from her parents and society's poison. Maybe one day she could break free. Rogue hoped so because living with hate is no life at all. It didn't really take that much; Logan had proved that. Just an open mind, a strong heart and a willingness to accept that we're all different.

In the end it was as always just a matter of tolerance.

_                                                                      The End_


End file.
